Record crowd tracks group on Open's first day

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Tiger Woods does his fist pump during the opening round of the U.S. Open on Thursday. He finished with a one-over-par 72, one shot behind Phil Mickelson.
— Sean M. Haffey / Sean M. Haffey/Union-Tribune

Tiger Woods does his fist pump during the opening round of the U.S. Open on Thursday. He finished with a one-over-par 72, one shot behind Phil Mickelson.
— Sean M. Haffey / Sean M. Haffey/Union-Tribune

"I'm out here to have a good week and play some good golf over four days," said Hicks, who missed the cut in 2004 in his one previous Open appearance. "It's so hard to really compare it to anything, though, because it's only one day. I know that it's a marathon out here, it's not a sprint at all."

The crowd at the first tee, estimated at about 800 spectators when the first group teed off at 7 a.m., swelled to perhaps 10 times that number by the time Woods, Mickelson and Scott reached the tee an hour later.

Fans stood shoulder-to-shoulder around the entire first hole. They were standing 12 deep near the second green. The world's largest game of leapfrog began soon thereafter, as many fans skipped ahead from hole-to-hole in an effort to get a jump on their fellow spectators.

"Get in the hole!" was shouted out before Woods' tee shot landed on No. 1. At 448 yards, that would have been a stretch even for Woods.

"Go get him, Phil," and "Go Tiger" were among the cries as the players walked down the first fairway.

The day's first mishap outside the ropes occurred in the gallery moments later as the players prepared to hit their approach shots on No. 1.

A thirtysomething fan in a tree just right of the green, leaning way out to get a glimpse of the group, fell to the ground. He was shaken up and muddy, but apparently OK, save for a severely bruised ego.

On the longest U.S. Open course in history at 7,643 yards, Mickelson didn't have a driver in his bag. He carried two drivers one year at the Masters, but chose to go with a 3-wood here. The strategy didn't pay dividends early on when he hit just two of 10 fairways. His game came together on the back nine, however, with three birdies over a five-hole span.

"You noticed that I didn't have my driver today, huh?" Mickelson said. "My game plan was that I only want to hit it a certain distance. I don't really want to hit it past 300 yards on most of the par-4s because it starts running into the rough.

"I felt like with the fairways being firm like they were today all I needed was 3-wood on the holes. Now if it rains or gets softer, I'll certainly pull out driver.

As play began, the grandstand to the right of the first tee box was filled with spectators. Others lined the ropes behind and to both sides of the tee. Still others overlooked the scene from the back of the grandstands on the 18th hole.

"Gentlemen, good luck," the USGA's Ron Read said before stepping to the microphone just to the left of the tee before the first group of the day teed off.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," Read said to polite applause. "Welcome to the 108th United States Open Championship.

"This championship is conducted by the USGA. This year 8,390 golfers entered the open. After qualifying around the world, 156 have advanced to Torrey Pines.

"Competition is stroke play over 72 holes. The player with the lowest score will be our national champion.